EGENDS Celebrating DFI Legends The DFI and the DFI Educational Trust have established an award to honor practitioners that have made significant contributions and advancements to the research, design, construction, manufacturing and use of deep foundations. The Legends Program recognizes three awardees — an engineer, contractor and manufacturer/supplier — who have shown steadfast professionalism, character and integrity, and have Charles Berkel Contractor Legend (posthumously) By Alan Roach “What did I do to earn this? I couldn’t even try to answer that because I don’t know,” Charles Berkel said when receiving an honorary doctorate from the University of Saint Mary. The Berkel & Company employees, and the engineers, contrac- tors, and manufac- turers and suppliers in the deep foun- dations industry do know. Starting his own business in the basement of his home and seeing it grow successfully to where it was at the time of his death was one of the highlights of Berkel’s life. Instilling his values and work ethic in those around him with the philosophy of doing the right thing was a priority to him. Sharing the successes with his employees by starting a company ESOP in 1976 — with a plan for it to take ownership upon his leaving — reflected his high regard for the Berkel & Company employees who helped build the company. In addition to the DFI Educational Trust, Berkel supported numerous charitable organizations through his Charitable Foundation. He truly is a Legend. Alan Roach is president and CEO of Berkel & Company Contractors George Tamaro Engineering Legend By Joel Moskowitz George Tamaro is in a unique position in the industry, having experienced construction from the perspective of owner’s representative, contractor and engineer. His career went full circle from inspector as a young engineer on the original World Trade Center slurry wall for the Port Authority to consultant on the preservation of the slurry wall after the September 11 attacks. Tamaro devel- oped slurry wall design theory that is widely used in the industry. His design experience ranges to all man- ner of deep foun- dations and excavation support. He has served the industry by fostering active participation in organizations such as DFI. Tamaro was one of the founding members of DFI and has been honored by numerous major engineering and construction organizations including, perhaps the highest honor for any engineer, the Fritz Medal awarded by the American Associ- ation of Engineering Societies. I am proud to have called him Partner during our respective careers at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers, and am equally proud to welcome on behalf of DFI for its initial Legends program, former Distinguished Service Award recipient, George J. Tamaro. Joel Moskowitz is a consultant at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers made a broad impact on the industry with contributions that are pivotal Award Ceremony at the DFI 40 today. The first recipients will be honored at the inaugural Legends th Annual Conference on Deep us in congratulating the legends along with the 40 Anniversary of DFI’s Annual Conference on Deep Foundations. Davide Trevisani Manufacturer/Supplier Legend By Stefano Valagussa Davide Trevisani started his own geotech- nical contractor business, “Pali Trevisani,” in 1957 (now Trevi S.p.A.). The company soon became a world leader in the field of special foundations and geotechnical works. In 1969, he formed Soilmec, a company known for the design and manufacturing of machinery and equip- ment for special geotechnical foundation technologies. In 1999, the group became public in the Italian Stock Exchange Market as Trevi Finanziaria Industriale S.p.A. Trevisani later founded Petreven to provide deep drilling services, and in 2005, Drillmec to design and develop tech- nologies and special equipment for deep drilling of oil, gas and water. For his inven- tions and achieve- ments, Trevisani was awarded a “Laurea Honoris Cause” (honorary doctorate degree) in civil engineering in 1999 from the University of Bologna, Italy for “continued quality innovations proposed and implemented in foundat ion engineering, soil consolidation, tunnel construction, water and oil drilling development which are all part of the civil engineering discipline, while representing aspects of the construction industry and environmental management.” Trevisani created an international business and is now recognized as one of the leaders in the global foundation industry. Stefano Valagussa is president and CEO of TREVIICOS DEEP FOUNDATIONS • SEPT/OCT 2015 • 29 Foundations, Wednesday, October 14, from 4:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m. Join th
